DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of breast cancer awareness month, Allergan plc (AGN) announced today The Allergan Foundation's continuing commitment to breast health, awareness, restoration, and research through a $2,000,000 pledge to be paid over the next three years to select nonprofit organizations.

Allergan plc logo (PRNewsFoto/Allergan plc) (PRNewsfoto/Allergan plc)

Established in 1998, The Allergan Foundation is a U.S.-based, private charitable foundation committed to providing a lasting and positive impact in the communities in which Allergan employees live and work. The Allergan Foundation focuses its support on charitable efforts dedicated to promoting access to quality healthcare and improving patient diagnosis, treatment, care and quality of life. The Allergan Foundation has donated more than $84 million to charities, both domestic and abroad, since its inception. Individuals interested in learning more about The Allergan Foundation can visit AllerganFoundation.org.

"According to recent statistics, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime," said Brent Saunders, Chairman & CEO of Allergan and Chairman of The Allergan Foundation. "We all know or love someone touched by this dreaded disease, which impacts not only the patient, but all those who love her. At Allergan, we want patients to know they are not alone and that we stand with each and every woman fighting for her life."

In addition, Allergan is supporting breast cancer patients through two new initiatives. From October 1st through December 31st 2018, Allergan's U.S. Medical Aesthetics business will donate a portion of U.S. sales for BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA) to four organizations that support breast cancer and breast reconstruction education, awareness and research, up to $500,000.

"This effort allows Allergan to provide consumers with an opportunity to help others while doing something they regularly do for themselves," said Carrie Strom, Senior Vice Presdient, U.S. Medical Aesthetics. "Now when someone gets a BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment, they can feel good that they are helping Allergan support organizations that help women on their breast cancer journey."

Allergan is also supporting breast cancer patients directly through the Natrelle® brand, which offers a full suite of products for breast reconstruction, including Natrelle® breast implants and tissue expanders. During breast cancer awareness month Natrelle® will provide complimentary care packages containing SkinMedica® skincare products along with other information on breast cancer education and services. Current patients and survivors can receive a care package, while supplies last, by signing up through the new Natrelle® registration portal at www.natrellecares.com. Patients and survivors are also invited to share their unique stories on social media using the hashtag #myreconreason.

Approved Uses BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow's feet lines, and frown lines between the eyebrows in adults.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX® Cosmetic:

Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months.

BOTOX® Cosmetic dosing units are not the same as, or comparable to, any other botulinum toxin product.

There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect when BOTOX® Cosmetic has been used at the recommended dose to treat frown lines, crow's feet lines, and/or forehead lines.

BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, vision problems, or dizziness within hours to weeks of taking BOTOX® Cosmetic. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.

Serious and/or immediate allergic reactions have been reported. They include: itching, rash, red itchy welts, wheezing, asthma symptoms, or dizziness or feeling faint. Get medical help right away if you are wheezing or have asthma symptoms, or if you become dizzy or faint.

Do not receive BOTOX® Cosmetic if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® Cosmetic (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc® (rimabotulinumtoxinB), Dysport® (abobotulinumtoxinA), or Xeomin® (incobotulinumtoxinA); have a skin infection at the planned injection site.

Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions, such as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including difficulty swallowing and difficulty breathing from typical doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic.

Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including: plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; have trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic can harm your unborn baby); are breast-feeding or plan to (it is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic passes into breast milk).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using BOTOX® Cosmetic with certain other medicines may cause serious side effects. Do not start any new medicines until you have told your doctor that you have received BOTOX® Cosmetic in the past.

Tell your doctor if you have received any other botulinum toxin product in the last 4 months; have received injections of botulinum toxin such as Myobloc®, Dysport®, or Xeomin® in the past (tell your doctor exactly which product you received); have recently received an antibiotic by injection; take muscle relaxants; take an allergy or cold medicine; take a sleep medicine; take aspirin-like products or blood thinners.

Who may get breast implants?Natrelle® Breast Implants are approved for women for the following:

Breast augmentation for women at least 22 years old for silicone-filled implants.

Breast augmentation for women at least 18 years old for saline-filled implants.Breast augmentation includes primary breast augmentation to increase breast size, as well as revision surgery to correct or improve the result of a primary breast augmentation surgery.

Breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction includes primary reconstruction to replace breast tissue that has been removed due to cancer or trauma or that has failed to develop properly due to a severe breast abnormality. Breast reconstruction also includes revision surgery to correct or improve the result of a primary breast reconstruction surgery.

Who should NOT get breast implants?

Women with active infection anywhere in their body.

Women with existing cancer or precancer of their breast who have not received adequate treatment for those conditions.

Women who are currently pregnant or nursing.

What should I know before getting breast implants?

Breast implants are not lifetime devices, and not necessarily a one-time surgery.

Many of the changes to your breasts following implantation cannot be undone. If you later choose to have your implant(s) removed and not replaced, you may experience unacceptable dimpling, puckering, wrinkling, or other cosmetic changes of the breast, which may be permanent.

Breast implants may affect your ability to breast-feed, either by reducing or eliminating milk production.

Rupture of a silicone-filled breast implant is most often silent and may not be detected by you or your doctor. You should have an MRI 3 years after your surgery and then every 2 years after that for as long as you have your breast implants to determine if rupture is present. If implant rupture is noted on an MRI, you should have the implant removed, with or without replacement.

With breast implants, a routine screening mammography and self-examinations for breast cancer will be more difficult. Ask your doctor to help you distinguish the implant from your breast tissue. Symptoms of a ruptured implant may be hard knots or lumps surrounding the implant or in the armpit, change or loss of size or shape of the breast or implant, pain, tingling, swelling, numbness, burning, or hardening. Tell your doctor of these symptoms and remove ruptured implants.

Inform any other doctor who treats you of the presence of your implants to minimize the risk of damage to the implants.

What should I tell my doctor?Tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions, as the risks of breast implant surgery may be higher:

Autoimmune diseases (for example, lupus and scleroderma).

A weakened immune system (for example, currently taking drugs that weaken the body's natural resistance to disease).

Planned chemotherapy following breast implant placement.

Planned radiation therapy to the breast following breast implant placement.

Conditions or medications that interfere with wound healing and blood clotting.

Reduced blood supply to breast tissue.

Clinical diagnosis of depression or other mental health disorders, including body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders. Please discuss any history of mental health disorders with your surgeon prior to surgery. Patients with a diagnosis of depression or other mental health disorders should wait for resolution or stabilization of these conditions prior to undergoing breast implantation surgery.

What are some complications with breast implants?Key complications are reoperation, implant removal with or without replacement, implant rupture with silicone-filled implants, implant deflation with saline-filled implants, and severe capsular contracture (severe scar tissue around the implant). Other complications include asymmetry, nipple/breast/skin sensation changes, scarring, or wrinkling/rippling. Talk to your doctor about other complications.

Talk to your doctor. For more information see the patient brochures at www.allergan.com/labeling/usa.htm. To report a problem with Natrelle® Breast Implants, please call Allergan at 1-800-433-8871.

Allergan is an industry leader in Open Science, a model of research and development, which defines our approach to identifying and developing game-changing ideas and innovation for better patient care. With this approach, Allergan has built one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry.

Allergan's success is powered by our global colleagues' commitment to being Bold for Life. Together, we build bridges, power ideas, act fast and drive results for our customers and patients around the world by always doing what is right.

With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day.

Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective on existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; the impact of uncertainty around timing of generic entry related to key products, including RESTASIS®, on our financial results; risks associated with divestitures, acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures; uncertainty associated with financial projections, projected cost reductions, projected debt reduction, projected synergies, restructurings, increased costs, and adverse tax consequences; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and Allergan's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2018. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.